WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mental health matters. That’s the message behind a partnership between the National Council for Behavioral Health and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation to train 150,000 people in Mental Health First Aid by the end of the year.

Mental Health First Aid will hold trainings along all U.S. stops of Lady Gaga’s Joanne World Tour. In four cities – Sacramento, Omaha, Detroit and Denver – the trainings will be free-of-charge to participants. The partnership is part of Born This Way Foundation’s Channel Kindness Tour, a five-month series of activations youth engagement events and community gatherings the organization is hosting in coordination with the Joanne World Tour.

“Lady Gaga and Born This Way Foundation are true difference-makers for mental health. This commitment reflects the importance of teaching people how to help someone who is facing a mental health challenge,” said Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health.

Mental Health First Aid has been called “CPR for the mind.” This groundbreaking program teaches people of all ages and all walks of life to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges and crises.

“The difference between someone getting the help they need or suffering in silence could be a friend, teacher, coach or parent who knows what to look for and how to engage people in open conversation. Those are the skills taught in Mental Health First Aid,” Rosenberg said.

Mental Health First Aid has trained more than 1 million Americans to recognize and respond to signs of a mental health challenge. Born This Way Foundation was co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, to empower youth to create a kinder, braver world. The Foundation recently released a report, “Kind Communities – A Bridge to Youth Mental Wellness,” that found that while nine in 10 young people prioritize their mental health, less than half are talking about it with anyone.

“We need to demystify and destigmatize mental health and that has to start with more honest conversations and with better access to practical resources. Mental Health First Aid Training exemplifies that approach,” said Germanotta, president and co-founder of Born This Way Foundation. “That’s why we’re teaming up with the National Council for Behavioral Health to equip tens of thousands of people with the tools they need to support the mental health of their family, friends and community. Everyone should have the knowledge to act when they see someone in crisis.”

The country’s 1 million First Aiders include everyone from police officers, teachers and employers to former First Lady Michelle Obama, former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall and television personality Dr. Oz. The eight-hour course is offered around the country and includes special courses for public safety officers, teachers, employers, youth, military members and veterans, older adults and foster families.

The National Council for Behavioral Health is the unifying voice of America’s health care organizations that deliver mental health and addictions treatment and services. Together with our 2,900 member organizations serving over 10 million adults, children and families living with mental illnesses and addictions, the National Council is committed to all Americans having access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery. The National Council helped introduce Mental Health First Aid USA and more than 1 million Americans have been trained. For more information, please go to the National Council webpage at www.TheNationalCouncil.org.

Born This Way Foundation is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world. To achieve these goals, Born This Way Foundation leverages rigorous academic research and authentic partnerships in order to provide young people with kinder communities, improved mental health resources and more positive environments – online and offline. For more information, please go to https://BornThisWay.Foundation

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The Mental Health First Aid movement is 1,000,000 strong and growing every day. Now we’re asking you to #BeTheDifference, because anyone, anywhere can be the difference in the life of someone facing a mental health or substance use challenge if they know what to do and what to say. Join the movement.

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